Adarabioyo Considered as Replacement for Arsenal Bound Konsa

Aston Villa have identified Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo as a potential replacement for Ezri Konsa, who is expected to complete a move to Premier League champions Arsenal in the coming days, according to Sky Sports UK.

Transfer market expert, David Ornstein, reported yesterday that Arsenal have agreed a £51 million deal plus add-ons to sign Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who said goodbye to his teammates on Wednesday and he is scheduled to undergo his medical today.

Tosin is among the candidates the Europa League winners are considering to replace Konsa, who was a key player for England at the 2026 World Cup, featuring in all eight of the Three Lions’ matches and scoring one goal.

Chelsea have plenty of options in defence and are looking to trim their squad, with Tosin now considered surplus to requirements despite playing a prominent role in pre-season.

BBC Sport revealed last week that Arsenal had reopened talks with Villa over a deal for Konsa but still fell short of reaching an agreement.

The Gunners then appeared to pivot to Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah.

However, Arsenal refocused their efforts on Konsa and have now struck a deal for the player with Villa.

The 28-year-old, who joined the Villans in July 2019, has made 286 appearances over the past seven seasons.

Konsa featured 48 times last term in all competitions, scoring two goals and contributing one assist, as Unai Emery’s side lifted the Europa League and finished fourth in the Premier League to secure Champions League football for 2026-27.

Konsa has not featured at all during Aston Villa’s pre‑season, including the 2‑1 defeat to Paris St‑Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, after Emery gave him four weeks off following the World Cup.